Copyright 2007 The Miami Herald All Rights ReservedThe Miami HeraldMarch 12 2007 Monday
SECTION:
A; Pg. 1
LENGTH:
568 words,
HEADLINE:
Calle Ocho festival turns up the heat; About a million people poured intoLittle Havana on Sunday for the 29th annual Calle Ocho festival, hailed as the nation'sbiggest street fest.
BYLINE:
ALDO NAHED, anahed@MiamiHerald.com
BODY:
Nanette Molina, of Pembroke Pines, came to Calle Ocho Sunday on a mission: to join theworld's largest aerobics exercise known as Zumba.By 3 p.m., it was hard to tell whether Molina and more than 100 of her fellow Zumbainstructors succeeded in signing up the required tens of thousands to break the record in thenumber of participants in the high-energy aerobics workout.The current record was set in the Philippines on Feb. 16, 2003, when at least 48,000 peoplesimultaneously exercised at Manila Luneta Park. Whether Miami broke that record won't beknown for days -- until organizers count the signatures of Calle Ocho Zumba participants.''Our concern is to win,'' said Molina, 27, a first-time Calle Ocho reveler, who helped collectsignatures for the Zumba party from among thousands -- many of them tipsy and lightlydressed.The Zumba was a highlight of this year's Calle Ocho event, billed as the nation's largest streetfestival.A sea of people danced along 23 blocks of Southwest Eight Street and in front of 24 stagespumping Latin and Caribbean rhythms.Olga Merediz, 82, of Hialeah, embarrassed her niece, Kimberly, 27, as she danced up a stormin front of a stand hawking salsa CDs.''I can't get her to stop,'' Kimberly said, her arms crossed in mock frustration.Nearby, a Canadian couple from Quebec sat on a bus bench to catch their breath. They weregoing to drop off a bag of free goodies in their car and then return to the festivities.''The smell of the food, the Latin culture, it's all so wonderful,'' said Gilles Robert.''He likes to see the nice young girls,'' added his wife, Ginette Bérubé.He didn't disagree.For Kiwanis of Little Havana, which started the annual party in 1978, the 29th edition wasanother hit, said Sylvia Vieta, the group's spokeswoman.She estimated Sunday's crowd at about a million people. Participating performers included
News Reporthttps://secure.accurint.com/app/bps/report?EVENT=REPORT...1 of 21/15/09 3:16 PM
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